Author: Joshua Garibay

Anyone who games on PC is no doubt familiar with Steam and its wildly popular digital distribution platform that towers over the competition. When Bungie took to the stage today to spill details on Destiny 2, it seemed like a no-brainer to expect the PC version to land on Valve’s virtual store. That was not the case.

During the Destiny 2 event, we were informed that the upcoming FPS would be available exclusively through the Blizzard App (previously known as Battle.net) on PC, making it the first non-Blizzard title to utilize the service. This definitely left some of us scratching our heads, seeing as several other triple-A games from Activision can be found on Steam.

While it wasn’t obvious at first, it started to make sense why Destiny 2 would be joining the likes of Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm through the recently renamed launcher. Mike Morhaime of Blizzard stated that going this route will “allow Destiny 2 to plug in to our existing global network, freeing up the developers at Bungie” to allocate themselves to other critical areas to ensure we receive the “best and most fun” experience possible.

Integration with the application also provides access to a suite of features, such as voice chat and friends lists. You will even be able to stream your gameplay to Facebook, if that’s your thing. None of this will have anyone jumping for joy though, as it falls into the standard expectations for any game launcher.

At least this is the only surprise that PC players might find less-than-ideal, right? Right? Wrong. In addition to the delivery platform falling into an unexpected camp, the release date for the PC version is not set. It was assumed that the September 8th release date applied to all platforms, but that was shot down today.

The “coming weeks” will provide us a set date for Destiny 2’s launch on the Blizzard App. Let’s hope that the rest of us Guardians don’t have to wait terribly long to join the fight with our console-bound brethren.

Today was a huge day for Activision since they opened up a fair bit more on the highly-anticipated sequel, Destiny 2. Their special event included a handful of videos detailing the enhanced narrative and beefed up gameplay, which has garnered praise from the majority.

We have collected the three videos, two trailers and one gameplay livestream, for your viewing pleasure with the added convenience of it being all in one place. Take a look and see what all the hype is about for yourself.

Cinematic Trailer #2:

Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer:

“Homecoming” Mission Livestream:

That’s a lot of footage to digest. Bungie revealed bits regarding the three new sub-classes, added weapon types, and a whole lot more. It’s enough to make your head spin, but it is still very exciting. Destiny 2 could very well make up for the first installment’s glaring shortcomings if these videos are any indication of the developer’s renewed direction and commitment to the community.

Then again, Bungie made extremely bold statements in their initial developer diaries before the first game’s release, several of which were never fully realized when it reached players worldwide. Only time will tell if the team has truly learned from their missteps.

That time will ultimately come this September, but we should see part of the bigger picture come E3 next month. Let us know what your favorite part was from today’s reveal.

Rare’s pirate-oriented, action-adventure title Sea of Thieves has been in alpha for a good while now, but entry has thus far been restricted to Xbox One players. That limitation is finally about to be lifted, as Rare has announced a Windows 10 technical alpha set for this weekend.

The alpha test will run from 7PM to 10PM BST this Saturday, May 20th. Previously being involved in any of the Xbox One tests does not guarantee access to the PC counterpart. This brief opening is limited to 1,000 participants and that crowd will be sourced from those already subscribed to the Sea of Thieves Insider Program. Invites are said to have been sent out today, so make sure you check your inbox thoroughly if you are subscribed to their newsletter.

PC players can expect the same range of features found in the latest iteration of the game on Xbox One, including “limited resources, cursed chests and . . . sword combat.” In addition, platform-specific features will be included. Mouse and keyboard compatibility join 4K/60FPS support for an experience that is sure to provide the most breathtaking visual display we’ve seen yet.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for any new information we can plunder from this technical test as it heads underway.

Injustice 2 has landed on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and to generally-favorable reviews. We here at GeekCulturePodcast have toiled away (correction: we pressed a button, maybe two) at securing the first fifteen minutes of that game for your viewing pleasure.

Check out Batman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman and Superman battling against each other in NetherRealm’s latest brawler. Maybe you’ll find yourself swayed into joining the fray with the rest of us. For those of you already taking on DC’s expansive cast of characters, let us know what you think of the game so far!